Main course: Szechuan pepper crusted fillet with golden kumara and asparagus

Szechuan pepper-crusted fillet. Photo / Doug Sherring

1 Trim the fillet of all silver skin and sinew. Roll the meat in a mixture of cracked szechuan pepper, black pepper and oyster sauce.

2 Tightly wrap the fillet in clingfilm to form it into an regular shape and seal in the marinade. Refrigerate for several hours.

3 Make a sauce by reducing a good liquid (not powder) beef stock by half or until it will coat a spoon. Add a decent slug of whiskey and check the seasoning. Keep warm.

4 Make a purée of golden kumara: boil peeled kumara chunks, dry, mash with butter and pass through a sieve or mouli. Season well with salt and pepper, keep warm.

5 Cook the trimmed asparagus spears in salted water. Drain and keep warm.

6 Remove the fillet from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.

7 Put a baking dish with 2 tablespoons of oil into the oven, set on high. Once the tray is well heated, carefully roll the fillet in the hot oil, close the oven door and cook for 5 minutes before reducing the heat to medium.

8 Cook a further 10 minutes and then remove the fillet from the oven, cover and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

9 Slice the meat into portion size.

10 Add any juices from the resting to your warm sauce. Bring this sauce up to a boil, take off the heat and swirl in a knob of butter.

11 On warm dinner plates, make a bed of kumara purée and arrange the asparagus. Place the fillet slice on top of the kumara and be liberal with the whiskey jus. Any extra can be served in a warm gravy boat on the table.